Machine for drafting fibrous materials



G. DAKIN A ril 23, 1946.

MACHINE FOR DRAFTING FIBROUS MATERIALS File d March 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'April23,,1946. G DA IN 7 2,399,006

MACHINE FOR DRAFTING FIBRCUS l/IATERIALS Filed March 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 23, 1946 UNliT ED STATES MAomNaFoRDRAmNqEIBnoUs MATERIALS; 7

Geoflrey bakini Didsbury, Manchester-20, Eng;v land, assignor to The British Cotton- Industry;

R sea ch. Ass riat on; Manches er, En land;

it h ssoc atio Application'Maroh 27, 1943; Serial-No; 480,728? In-Great-Britain April 18, 1942 (filial-.1131.)

, p r 4 Claims.

' The present-invention relates to improvements inthe-- arrangements for drafting-fibrous mate- 'rialsln spinning frames and similar mac-hines,

such as speedframes for cotton,- in-which an *endlessba'nd, or apron as it is -1 .1sua llycalled,- is

used to assist -in the conveyance and control of fibresduring their passage between a rearward and aforward pair 'of-- rollers which const'itute or formpartof a drafting-system.

I It i is; usual in arrangements of this kind; for

"'the'apronto co-operate either with asecond apron-or with a-roller or-ro llers; or with fixedor free plates;

*In my invention, for the purpose 'ofcontrolling thefibres during drafting, I make useof a member which though it-does not rotate progressively as thematerial is transmitted; possesses rotational and translational mobility of such kind'and degree that not only is transmission perfectly satisfactory, but the control of the fibre is so effective that the uniformity of the drafted product is greater than can-be obtained with ordinary roller systems, and-high drafts are practicable.

' In applying" my invention I shouldarrange the apron below the material andthe control member-above it. The apron might be arranged 'in known fashionsuch; as is adopted in double apron systems or those in which a roller or rollers co -operate witha single apron. Mycontrol member would rest on-the apron(or rather on the material carriedon the apron); and'in order to prevent-it from being carried forward by the apron, Imight make its length rather greater than the width of the apron and constrain the projecting ends against suitable stops. Thusiff the apron were carried in a cradle, I might provide "slots in the side plates of'the' cradle, these plates beingsuitably extended above the plane ofjthe operative surface of theapron; or if the aprons passed round nose-pieces formed on. a rod extending over several units of themachine, I might provide pairs of posts in the rod;

The control member would haveits lower or operative, face smoothly finished and shaped rearwardly' to provide a smooth lead-in for the fibres coming from the rearward pair of rollers. The part of this face resting on the material is plane.

According to my invention, I arrange the constraints of' the control member so that itgmay perform such small, rotational and translational motions as are necessary for it to accommodate itself to the-irregular actionaof the stream of factors such 'as the character of the; material to prises the provision ongthe ends of the control membenofishaped edges which-bearagainst-constraining members (such as; those of; the kind previously mentioned whose plane of action is normal or nearly-normal to the plane of; the operative surface of the apron. These; edges defineanaxis 10uI1d"WhiCh -th8 control member may pivot; I" locate this axis in: or near the plane of the operative surface of-the apron, its precise position depending upona number of be processed; or the distance apart of 2 the lines of contact-with the; material. In general 1 prefer to locate the; axis slightlyforward; of the point at which themat rial enters between the control memben andthe apron (Figs; 1, 3 -and-4) Additionalmobility is pi'ovided'by-the possibility of-theslipping ofe thaedgesovertheir constraining-members,'such slipping affording relief-for example-when an exceptionally thick portion of -the-material ispassing. In general the; motion andg are showninFlgs. 4- and 5,

Fig; i is a view partly in section showing three lines of rollers anda control member rsimilar to that shown at Fig. 2;

Big, 5 is a plan view of Fig.- 4.

Figs: l-to 5- illustrate generally the application ofmy invention to a. ring; spinning frame for cotton; but it will cbeunderstood. that, the improvements maybe applied to other machines in; which *fibrous materialsare drafted including those in whicha total draft is distributed between successive drafting zones. 7

Figs. 1 anda3rillustrate devicesin which difier ent means ofconstraining'the control member shownin Fig; 2 are used, these devices being applied to a spinning frame. of; the threefline type (i. e. having-threepairs ofirollers, back, intermediate, and front) after the manner h wn n sandi- The Figs; 4' and 5-"relate specifically to. the

fibres. A-preferrdmethoclof constraintcomapplioation'ofthe controlmember illustrated I is positively driven in the ordinary manner so as to give a suitable draft; in general small, relative to the back rollers land 5. I preferably provide roller 2 with a loose boss to obviate stoppage of the said roller 2 which is liable to occur owing to the presence of the apron between the rollers I and 2. To position the apron 3 I can with advantage make use of a cradle consisting of side-plates 6 rigidly interconnected as bystays 6 (see Figs. 4 and 5), The side- {plate (I carry a transverse nose-piece I over part of the surface of which passes the front bend of the apron 3. This nose-piece I has endprojectionsli fitting into slots in the interconnected side-plates 6. Integral with the nosep ece Us a smooth-faced platform 9 which serves to support the apron 3 against the weight of the control member I0. v, H

V The rearward under portions of, the side-plates ,6 are shaped so thatthe axlesofroller I may fit rotatably thereto, andupward extension II of the side-plates B serve, to locate theside-plates 6 and ccnsequentlythe cradle by the contact therewith of the axles I2, of the rollers 2.

One form of application of the control member Iii is shown in Fig. 1, and thecontrol member separately in perspective, in Fig. 2. It is provided with end-pieces or lugs I3 Whichserve to keep it in position on the apron3 by engagement of said end-pieces or lugs I3 against the edges, of upward horns or extensions M. of the side-plates 6. The rearward edge of thecontrol member In is rounded off to provide a smooth lead-in forthe textile fibres.

four lcngitudinaledges.

The preferred form of application of: the control member I I3 is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the said control member being held independently of the cradles by the cap-nebs 15. These knowncapnebs I5 are fixed to supporting stems or fingers in the frame, in similar manner to those holding the roller 2 and upper front roller I6. As illustrated by Fig. 2, the lugs or end-pieces I3 of the control member I0 have plane faces inclined at an acute angle to the plane face which rests on the apron 3. Thus the control member I0 has power of limited rotational motion and is capable of rising and falling. I s

In Fig. 5 there is shown two cradles fixed about the roller I independently of each other.

In Fig. 4 the weighting of the roller 2 is shown as being effected by a saddle I1 and hook III which is weighted, such arrangement acting on a well-known principle and serves to weight the roller 2 and the top front roller l6. s 7

It will be understood that the precise details as to the devices for ca'rryingout my invention is susceptible of some constructional variation accordingto the particular type offibre drafting machine to which they are applied.

I declare that what I claim a 1. In a spinning machine for subjecting fibrous materials to the process of draftinga device for controlling the fibres, comprising rearwardand It is preferably rounded off at. all

forward pairs of drafting rollers, a conveying apron arranged to support the fibrous material in the path of travel of the fibrous material from one pair of rollers to the other, a loose control member having a plane lower face whereby it rests on the fibrous material on said conveying apron, said control member having end-pieces shaped to provide collinear pivoting edges whose common axis of pivoting lies approximately in the .plane of the said lower face, and stops disposed in position to engage said pivoting edges thereby to constrain the forward motion of the control member while permitting the pivoting edges to slide in a plane approximately normal to the plane of the operative surface of the conveying apron, said pivoting edges being maintained in constant contact, with the abutments in all pivotal movements of the control member and in vertical sliding movements thereof.

2. In a spinning machine for subjecting fibrous materials to the process of drafting, a device for controlling the fibres, comprising rearward and forward pairs of drafting rollers, a conveying apron arranged to support the fibrous material in the path of travel of the fibrous material from one pair of rollerstothe other, a loose control memberhaving a plane lower 1 face whereby it rests on the fibrous material; on saidconveying apron, said control member having end-pieces shaped to provide collinear pivoting edges'whose common axis of pivoting lies approximately inthe plane of the said lower face and across its rear portion, and stops disposed in position to engage said pivoting edges thereby to constrain the forward motion of the control member while permitting the pivoting edges to slide in a plane approximately normal to the planeof the operative surface of the conveying apron, said pivoting edges being maintained in constant contact with the abutments in all pivotal. movements of the control member and in vertical slidingmovements thereof. 7

3. In a spinning machine for subjecting fibrous materials to the process of drafting, a devicefor controlling the fibres, comprising rearward and forward pairs of drafting rollers, an endless revolvable apron arrangedt support thefibrous material in the path of travel of the fibrous material from one pair of rollers to the other, a control member resting loosely upon and enacting with said apron, said control member having a plane operative face and rounded lead-in anddelivery edges and end lugs shaped to provide collinear pivoting edges Whose common axis of pivoting lies approximately in the plane of said plane operative face and across its rear portion, abutments disposedto engage said pivoting edges thereby to constrain the forward motion of the control member while permitting. sliding of the said pivoting edges in a plane approximately normal to the operative surface of the apron, said pivoting edges being maintained in constant contact with the abutments in all pivotal movements of the control member and in vertical slidin movements'thereof. J 7 V V 4. In a spinning machine for subjecting fibrous materials to the process of drafting, a device for controlling the fibres, comprising rearwardand forward pairs of drafting rollers, an endless revolvable apron arranged to support the fibrous material in the path of travel of th fibrou material from one pair of rollers to the other, a control member resting loosely upon and coacting with said apron, said control member having a plane operative face and rounde l, lead-in and plane approximately normal to the operative surface of the apron, said pivoting edges being maintained in constant contact with the abutments in all pivotal movements of the control member and s in vertical sliding movements thereof GEOFFREY DAKIN. 

